1. Area of Invention
The present invention relates to forms of jewelry and body wear having the appearance of barbed wire.
2. Prior Art
Unconventional forms of jewelry, for example, jewelry formed of a multiplicity of fishhooks are known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,802 (2000) to DiVierti and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,922 (2002) to Foster.
With particular reference to jewelry of the type having the appearance of barbed wire, the appeal and contemporary interest in jewelry of this type is reflected in certain Internet websites. For example, the Cowboy Shop of Kentucky offers leather barbed wire necklaces and bracelets in which barb-like elements are strung upon a loop of leather cord to result in an article of jewelry which rests loosely about the wrist or neck of a wearer thereof.
As an alternative strategy, the e-business De Tails Toys offers arm bands, wristbands, ankle bands and collars in which barb-like elements are secured upon a thick rubber cord.
A further approach to barbed wire jewelry is the use of specially designed barbs in which the edges thereof have been rounded to reduce the possibility of injury to the user, and in which such barbed elements are connected by a wire band. The same is reflected in the website boondoggles.com.
The website Cowboy Life of Prescott, Arizona, is an on-line retailer of barbed wire chokers and bracelets manufactured by Montana Silversmiths. These products, while attractive, do not fit tightly about the wrist or throat of the wearer and, because they are made entirely of silver and are rigid castings, cannot approximate the appearance of real barbed wire.
In view of the above, the most realistic appearing type of xe2x80x9cbarbed wirexe2x80x9d jewelry is that in which the individual barb elements thereof are connected by leather or rubber cording. However, neither of these two approaches yields a bracelet, necklace or choker that appears entirely realistic and can closely engage the skin of the user for any period of time. That is, none have found a solution which permits realism of appearance coupled with close engagement of the skin that will cause little, if any, discomfort to the user.
In terms of popularity, handcrafted sterling silver has become the most popular medium in which jewelry of this type is produced. In addition to said silver products of Montana Silversmiths, the same is reflected in the products of Marche Noir. Such jewelry is typically considered southwestern jewelry. Jewelry having barbs connected by rubber cording have appeared in biker and other alternative life style settings, as noted above.
Many popular contemporary tattoos have attempted to convey an impression of barbed wire or the like.
Barbed wire per se was invented in 1874 in Texas and has been a particularly American phenomenon in both its use and development. Its early use was largely limited to the establishment of boundaries upon large tracts of land, such as ranches, in the vast areas of the Southwest. However, barbed wire was soon put to military use, beginning with the Spanish American war of 1898, and then later used in World War I in 1917-18, and in World War II as an easily deployable barrier to make more difficult the movement of troops and material on the battlefield. Barbed wire is now widely used today in civilian security applications, most commonly upon fence tops in urban areas. The present invention is, therefore, more closely related to such later uses of barbed wire and the combat retro symbolism associated therewith.
It is in response to such interests that the instant invention is directed.
The invention relates to an article of jewelry, typically in the nature of a bracelet, arm band, ankle band, choker, anklets, waistbands, toerings, navelrings, proportioned for compressive engagement of the wrist, arm, ankle, waist, toes or throat respectively, which is formed of a malleable material, such as an alloy of two or more of tin, silver, gold, indium, bismuth, gallium, cadmium, and zinc, which alloys are characterized by a low melting temperature. Each article includes a band formed of one or more lengths of twisted inter-spiraled wire(s) formed of said material. The inventive articles of jewelry, in addition to a length proportioned for compressive contact against the wrist, arm, neck, toe, waist or navel of the user, are provided with a plurality of barbs, substantially identical in their appearance to barbs of traditional barbed wire. An angle defined by the axes of the pointed elements of such barbs is less than 180 degrees and, preferably, about 120 degrees, so that the points of the barbed elements of the instant articles of jewelry project away from the skin of the user, diminishing the possibility of cutting or scratching thereby. Further, the fact that the material itself is far softer than is the galvanized high tensile strength barbed wire used in agriculture and security applications yet further reduces the possibility of injury to the user.
The softness of the material of which the inventive article is made facilitates close engagement of the wrist, arm or neck to enhance the realism and artistic impression thereof.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry, the appearance of which closely resembles barbed wire.
It is another object to provide an article of jewelry of the above type which may be readily used for bracelets, chokers, and armbands, anklets toerings, navelrings, waistbands and which are in substantially compressive engagement with the human body.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an article of jewelry of the above type which is sufficiently malleable to be placed about and against the human body without pain or discomfort resulting therefrom.
It is a yet further object to provide articles of jewelry of differing length that may be readily formed from a roll of barbed-wire appearing material at the point of purchase of the product, so that precise sizing to the requirements of the customer can be accommodated at the time or point of purchase and the angulation of the barbed elements of the article then adapted to the comfort of the user.
It is a still further object to provide a jewelry of the above type in which the color or surface effect of barbed wire may be simulated without the use of copper or any other oxidative metal therein.
It is another object to provide articles of jewelry of the above type which are biocompatible and substantially hypoallergenic.
The above and yet other objects and advantages of the present intention will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.